Underground, where darkness engulfed every inch, a 5'7" lanky teenager stood, bearing the weight of stress, weariness, and sorrow with his bowed head Frustration and annoyance etched across his face as he rubbed his head repeatedly, plagued by relentless questioning, why? Why is this happening The question echoed in his mind, a relentless refrain.
Abruptly, a dense wisp of dark black mist emerged from his left ear of the disheartened teen. As the mist materialized, it transformed into a looming ghost with sharp teeth, its eyes a chilling black and white. The eerie ghost, was almost like something born from the depths of the teenager's distress.
The ghost glared angrily at the teen. "Why were you so resistant?" they shouted.
The teen trembled in the face of the ghost's anger, shaking his head. "I never wanted this... I just wanted strength," he confessed, a deep sadness evident in his voice as he found himself entangled in multiple unfortunate situations.
The ghost pulled further away from the teen. "Then why are you resisting my strength? Don't you want to save your sister? I am giving you the powers to do so," they pressed, fully aware that the teen's sister was his weakness, a potent motivator for him to do anything.
"I need your strength for my sister, I'm willing to do a lot of things. But if it's at the cost of destruction, I wouldn't have agreed to it," the teen asserted. He couldn't understand how the ghost gained control over his body, especially during the time when he found himself within the dark giant's body, unable to exert any influence except contributing to the city's destruction.
The ghost sighed internally, frustrated. 'Oh... I just hate always having to start with no power. Then Shadow had to fail,' they thought. "Your pointless resistance would have caused me to die!" they shouted, he had a narrow escape lucky it had a manhole nearby after being slammed into the ground by the Fire Guardian.
'That's the second time I've ever lost to Ignatius... but it's weird he doesn't remember me. Then again, it's been 17 years,' Voragor thought,.' If it wasn't for your weak body and soul I would of have completely control over your body already.
On the side, a plea for forgiveness echoed in the teenager's mind. Why did I strike a deal with Voragor? The weight of regret bore down on him, stemming from the remorse of striking a deal with Voragor in exchange for power. All he ever yearned for was a better life for his sister, but now, the realization of the irreversible consequences of his decision gripped him. He felt as though he had ventured into something with no hope of redemption, fearing that his sister would harbor disdain for the choices he made.
But still with a determined resolve, the teenager wiped away a subtle tear from his face. Rising from his disheartened state, he began to walk away, choosing to visit his sister in the hospital.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Voragor shouted in question, being slightly dragged back by the teenager because he couldn't go too far.
The teenager stopped, looking back at Voragor with his eyebrows raised. "To visit my sister I cant go anywhere now...why? Am I your pet or something?" he retorted, as Voragor gripped his arm.
Voragor's condescending thoughts lingered, and a sly smirk played on his lips. 'Yes, yes, you are,' he thought, refusing to let the satisfaction show on his face,as he grip tightened slightly on the teenager's arm, a subtle display of dominance. The teenager, feeling the pressure, winced but maintained a defiant glare. Voragor's narrowed eyes conveyed a mix of irritation and amusement.
"Worried people may find you? What, did you forget that no one saw me and aside from that damn giant you made?" the teenager said, challenging Voragor's concerns.
The teenager noticed that Voragor remained silent he got out Voragor grip, and continued on his way, unaware that Voragor had allowed him to proceed. Why did Voragor choose not to respond? he had already harbored a calculated plan, intending to make it easier of building of a positive relationship with the teenager and to speed up the control over his body. However, the teen remained oblivious toVoragor's schemes.
Also Voragor, knew the innate ability of Nexarcs to sense his presence and influence. To counteract this, he devised a means to conceal both himself and the teenager. Though the teenager couldn't hear Voragor's thoughts, the opposite was true. As the teenager's thoughts reverberated in his mind, Voragor seized the opportunity to gain insight into the teen's innermost musings. As they moved away, Voragor decided to retreat into the recesses of the teen's ear.
...
Back at the academy, two days had passed since Lennox, Kira, and Theo received the mission to track down Voragor. They dedicated the previous days to thorough preparation. Lennox gathered out all the rewards he had accumulated from the academy and Nadia, while Theo delved into secret practices with his mentor. Simultaneously, Kira engaged in focused training sessions with her mentor, honing her skills for the mission ahead.
In Nadia's training room, Lennox found himself under her guidance, delving deeper into the mystery of the Aetherbane gloves and his bloodline channeling abilities. Crafting his own unique weapon for the gloves, he channeled his fire conjuring three fiery claws on each knuckle of both hands.
Lennox dashed forward with remarkable speed towards a metal dummy in the room. Realizing that his speed had significantly increased since leaving Vision City, he smoothly maneuvered around the dummy. Dragging his fiery claws across its surface, he melted through the metal effortlessly, pivoting and repeating the process on the other side with precision.
With Lennox's fire attaining a good strength capable of burning through academy-grade metal, coupled with the effective range and speed of his fiery claws, he recognized the advantage it bestowed in close combat situations.
A day later, Lennox, Kira and Theo gathered in the courtyard of the academy. Nadia, Kage, and Vayuna had provided them with a possible location for Voragor. Lennox, Kira, and Theo convened, gearing up for the task at hand. Lennox, sporting headphones, immersed himself in music with a powerful beat, selecting energetic tunes to fuel the right mindset.
Theo wore a smile on his face as he waved at Lennox, prompting him to take off his headphones. "I got one of my tech; I think it can help," he said with excitement.
"Well, can we see it?" Kira asked eagerly.
"No... It's for when it's needed," Theo quickly answered, he had a plan but he wasn't ready to reveal the details just yet.
Kira refrained from asking again, aware of Theo's appreciation for advanced technology and futuristic gadgets. But Lennox mainly knew as the memory of his past prank involving an illusion snake lingered in his minds. However, curiosity got the better of both Kira and Lennox, prompting them to wonder about the gadgets and tools Theo had in store for the mission.